Berri says 'optimistic' after 'excellent' meeting with Barrack

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed his optimism in the wake of his meeting with visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.

“Barrack himself was optimistic and my optimism is due to his optimism,” Berri said in an interview with the al-Modon news portal, noting that this positive atmosphere had contributed to dispelling the anxious atmosphere that had prevailed over the past two days.

Declining to reveal the reasons behind his optimism, the Speaker denied that a “new agreement” has been reached with Barrack.

“There is no new agreement, but rather an existing agreement that we will work on implementing, and this can halt the (Israeli) aggression,” Berri said.

Al-Modon meanwhile said that there is a “hidden stitch” that materialized in the meeting between Barrack and President Joseph Aoun, which was characterized with “positiveness,” especially in light of “what Aoun and Berri agreed on and what Aoun sent to the Speaker at night.”

“In Ain el-Tineh, Barrack heard what was agreed upon by the two presidents. And according to reports, Aoun paved the way for Barrack’s meeting with Berri, saying that it will be pivotal,” al-Modon said.

“The Speaker proposed, within the agreed Lebanese framework, that Israeli attacks stop for a period of six months and Israel begin gradual withdrawal, and accordingly Lebanon would start a serious dialogue with Hezbollah about disarmament,” the news portal added.